Last Night at Home

I'm getting ready to head off for one last night's sleep in my bed--the last one until August.  Tomorrow morning, I'll say goodbye to my beloved Genny (our dog), and Charles and I will hit the road, with some wonderful neighbors keeping an eye on our house and dog. 

​The car is all packed up and ready to go, minus the laptop, cooler, and various other last minute objects. It's kind of amazing that with all the trappings of life that we are used to on a daily basis, I can fit five weeks' worth of life into a mid-sized SUV.  The lists have all been made and triple-checked, although I doubt I'll sleep much tonight as I try to remember that vital item that I've forgotten.

​Almost twelve years I've wanted to do this, and now that it's finally here...I have to admit there's a part of me that's terrified. Then there's the part of me that can't quite fathom that it is happening, and can't wait to get on with it. 

​Let's hit the road, Jack!

Just a few more hours...

It's my second to last night at home until August. It feels a little unreal that I'll be gone from home so long, moving from place to place almost every day. Tomorrow will be a day of last minute shopping and chores. The huge table in our basement is my staging area, and it's slowly getting loaded up.  My clothes are almost packed, except for a few last loads of laundry.

It's coming down to deciding last minute what is worth the space and what is not. How many books do I bring? How many pairs of shoes? I don't want to over-pack, but on the other hand, five weeks is a long time!  What entertainments should I bring for myself, for those evenings alone?

I'm nervous about being on my own for two and a half weeks, finding safe places to stay, and over-exerting myself. On the other hand, I'm incredibly excited to visit places I've never been before, as well as re-visit some beloved places.  I'm also excited about the people that I'm going to see along the way.

I have little to no idea of what to expect from this trip, other than that I know I will always remember it.

T-8 Days

When I was about 14 years old, I discovered the idea of cross-country road trips. Immediately, I made it a goal to go on one. I've always worked in the summers, though, and for one reason or another, haven't had the opportunity.

Then, this spring, I decided to take the plunge and go for it, and figure out the logistics as I went. I started planning, toying with different routes.  Even at this point, my route is still fairly fluid, but here's the basic idea:

Drive up to the Niagara Falls area over 4th of July weekend, then head out to Detroit to meet up with a friend for a few days. Then to Chicago briefly.  The next big stop will be in the Black Hills of South Dakota.  From there, I'll make a stop in Phillipsburg, Montana to mine some sapphires.  Keeping my eyes on the West Coast, I'll head to Seattle.  Turning south, I'll head down the coast, stopping in Portland.  In San Francisco, I'll pick up Dear Husband (DH), and we'll keep heading down the coast, ending up in San Diego. Then we'll turn back up north and head inland to Vegas, the Grand Canyon, and Zion National Park. Next stop will be Denver or Boulder, or both, then back across the country, stopping in the Ozarks in Arkansas, and St. Louis, before finally returning home.

All of these are subject to change other than picking up DH in San Francisco.

Packing has already commenced, and the butterflies are making themselves felt!  As for this blog...the plan is to update it as often as possible along the way, with pictures and stories.  It all depends on the wireless.  So keep checking back.  I might post another post or two about how I'm preparing for this mega journey.